And Starring Emma Kent as Herself
by That 1 Chick
Summary: REVISED! We know that Martha can't have children, but what about Jonathan? What if he already had a little girl when he and Martha met? This is her story, the story of Emma Kent.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Me? Own Smallville? I wish...**

**Author's Note: Okay, like I said, this is AU and totally revised. Some of you may remember it from before, but I've gone through and changed a lot of stuff, so you may want to reread it.I've completely made Emma Kent up. She's my creation, like Frankenstein. Okay, that was a lame joke. Anyway, I'm not exactly sure how old Jonathan is for real, so at the beginning of this story, he's almost eighteen. This start's when the baby's born and follows up through the Smallville years. This is very important:_ pay attention to the dates at the beginning of each chapter! It's going to skip around a bit, especially later on._**

* * *

_In my daughter's eyes I am a hero _

_I am strong and wise, and I know no fear _

_But the truth is plain to see _

_She was sent to rescue me _

_I see who I want to be _

_In my daughter's eyes _

_In my daughter's eyes _

_Everyone is equal _

_Darkness turns to light _

_And the world is at peace _

_This miracle God gave to me _

_Gives me strength when I am weak _

_I find reason to believe _

_In my daughter's eyes _

_-Martina McBride_

* * *

**February 16th, 1983-**

Seventeen-year-old Jonathan Kent impatiently paced the length of the St. Joseph's Hospital waiting room, back and forth. "What could possibly be taking so long? It's been hours!" he paced again, glancing at his clock. Ten minutes after midnight.

"Takes a long time to have a baby, Jonathan." His father, Hiram Kent, answered sleepily. "Why don't you sit down for a few minutes, huh? You're making me nervous with all that pacing."

"I can't help it." Jonathan wrung his hands. "I'm so nervous. What if it's a girl? How can I raise a little girl by myself?"

"The same way you'd raise a little boy." His mother, Tammy, answered. "With love. Now, sit down."

"I'm worried about Penny." Jonathan said. He kept on pacing. "What if something happens? What if she changes her mind?"

"She can't change her mind, sweetie." Tammy replied. "She already signed the papers to give you sole custody of the baby."

Jonathan shrugged his shoulders, finally plopping down into one of the chairs. He chewed his thumbnail, thinking over the events of the past year; the events that led up to this very night in the maternity ward.

A year before, he had met Penny Landry at a party. She was from Granville, the closet town to Smallville. Needless to say, they had become very close very fast. Six months later, she told him she was pregnant. They had discussed abortion, which Jonathan was totally against. They couldn't raise the baby together; Penny's parents had forbid her to ever see Jonathan again. Finally, talk of adoption came up. Jonathan had almost gone along with it, but he changed his mind at the last minute. He talked it over (more like fought it over) with his parents, till they finally agreed to let him keep the baby and raise it on his own. Penny had signed papers stating that after the birth, she'd never try to contact Jonathan or the baby again. And that was that.

Now, the time had come. Jonathan had wanted to be in the delivery room, but Penny said she didn't want him in there. He had a sneaking suspicion that Penny's mother was behind that, because she was in there with her. Jonathan had no idea where Mr. Landry was and he didn't care. The only thing that mattered now was his baby. They'd been waiting for nearly six hours. How much longer could it take?

"Did you finally decide on some names?" His mother asked, taking his hand. She was just trying to take his mind off what was going on in the delivery room.

"I'm thinking Adam if it's a boy." He said. "Adam Joseph Kent. What'd you think?"

"I think that's a fine name for a boy." Hiram told him. "But what if it's a girl?"

Jonathan shrugged. "I don't know yet. I was thinking Sara or Elizabeth. Maybe Leanne."

"You haven't picked one out yet?" Tammy asked.

"I can't decide. I know next to nothing about little girls. How can I pick out a name for one?"

"You never seemed to have any trouble naming female animals." His father remarked.

"_Da-ad_." Jonathan groaned. "That's completely different! You can stick a female animal with a name like Mitzie or Cocoa and it's fine. You can't do that with a baby girl."

Hiram opened his mouth to retort, but before he could Dr. Bennett came out. Jonathan jumped from his chair.

"Is it over? Is the baby okay? Is it a boy or a girl?"

The doctor laughed and held up his hand. "One question at a time, Jonathan. Yes, it's over and the baby's fine." He smiled. "It's a girl. Congratulations!"

Jonathan felt like dancing around the waiting room. He hugged his parents. "A girl!" He kept saying. "I have a girl!"

"Come down to the nursery and you can see her." Dr. Bennett told him.

Jonathan was practically skipping to the nursery, his parents following behind him. His mind was reeling. A girl? He had a boy's name all picked out, but a girl? Out of all the names he had picked out, he liked Elizabeth the best, but he wasn't sure if he wanted that for his daughter's (_his daughter_!) first name.

"Here we are!" Dr. Bennett announced. "If Mr. and Mrs. Kent don't mind waiting outside for a few minutes, I'll take Jonathan in to see her."

Jonathan barely heard his parents answer. He followed Dr. Bennett into the nursery. There were two other babies in the room besides his, two boys. He could see her; she was lying in an incubator, wrapped in a pale pink blanket. The tag on the front read simply "Baby Kent".

One of the nurses, her nametag read 'Rose', lifted the baby out of the incubator and placed her into Jonathan's arms. He smiled down at her in her little blanket. She had a tuff of white blonde hair. He touched her cheeked and her eyes fluttered, opening long enough for him to see they were a very dark blue. And just like that, a name came to him.

"Emma." He told his parents a few minutes later when they entered the room. "That's what I'm going to call her. Emma Leanne." He had no idea where it came from, but he knew it was the perfect name.

**One week later-**

_"Waaaaaahhhhhhh!"_

Jonathan sat straight up in his bed. Emma was crying. He looked at the clock, realizing it was time for her next bottle.

"Come on, Cookie." He whispered, lifting her out of her crib, kept right next to his bed. "Let's go."

He carried her downstairs, trying to keep her quiet by singing. _"Hush little baby, don't say a word, daddy's gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird won't sing, daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring. And if that diamond ring turns brass, daddy's gonna buy you a looking glass."_

He sang quietly, trying to remember all the words to the song, as he made Emma her bottle. He did like his mother had shown him, testing a drop of the warm milk on his finger, to make sure it wasn't too hot. It wasn't. He sat down in the living room, in an old rocking chair, still humming the song. He watched as Emma drifted back to sleep, the bottle still in her mouth. He was thankful that it was the weekend. He was still attending school, his mother watching Emma during the day and in the middle of the night. But not on the weekends. On the weekends, Jonathan did it. Football season had just ended, thankfully, so he didn't have to worry about that.

He wondered where Penny was and if she ever thought about their baby. He kissed Emma's soft forehead. She was the most beautiful baby he had ever seen. He had always heard that newborn babies were supposed to be ugly, but not _his_ baby. She was perfect. Jonathan sighed and leaned back into the chair. Would it always be like this, just him and Emma? Who would want to marry a guy who already had a kid? He wondered. He still planned on taking some courses at Metropolis U next fall. Maybe he would meet someone there.

Hey, you never know. It could happen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: I just want to say thanks to all the people who reviewed my first chapter. You guys rock!**

* * *

_He could have cried, but he didn't have time_

_He had a baby to feed_

_A pink blanket to find_

_To rock his little one to sleep_

_He could've laid awake for hours, giving loneliness it's power_

_But he didn't have time_

_-Terri Clark_

* * *

**September 7th, 1983-**

Jonathan sneaked a peek at the pretty girl walking beside him, with her dark auburn hair and her green eyes. He couldn't believe his luck, taking a beautiful girl to lunch on his very first day. He had only dated one girl since Emma's birth, Nell Potter, and what a mistake that had been. She had been extremely jealous of his time with Emma. Jonathan ended their relationship at the end of the summer when he overheard Nell calling Emma 'that little brat'. That had been the final straw. He wondered again how anyone could be jealous of a seven-month-old baby?

And now he was walking with this girl, Martha Clark. They were going to her favorite coffee shop, The Corner Coffee House.

"The name isn't all that original," She had told him. "But they have the best food in Metropolis."

He hadn't told her about Emma yet. He loved his daughter more than anything, but that wasn't exactly the greatest opening line: "Hey, I have a seven and half month old daughter who takes up most of my time. Wanna date me?" No, not a great pickup line.

They found a booth in the back of the coffee shop and ordered their food. Jonathan decided this was as good a time as any to bring up Emma. If this was going anywhere (and he desperately hoped it was) he needed to up front about her.

"Um, I sort of have to tell you something, Martha." He started. "Something you need to know about me and my life right away."

"Ohh, sounds serious." Martha said, sipping the Sprite their waiter had just sat down in front of her.

Jonathan took a sip of his own soda. "It is." He admitted.

Martha looked at him. "You're not a serial killer on the run or anything are you?" She asked with a straight face, even though her eyes were sparkling.

Jonathan cracked a small smile. "No. It's about my daughter." He flinched a little, waiting for her to tell him nevermind; she didn't want to go on a date with him again.

"You're daughter?" Martha took another sip of her soda. "You're not married, are you?"

"No. I'm single" He sighed a little. "Just me and Emma." He explained a little bit of the story to her.

"Well, I think it's great that you took her to raise on your own." Martha told him when he was finished. "Not many guys would do that, you know. How old is she?"

Jonathan fished one of the millions of pictures he carried of Emma from his wallet and handed it across the table to Martha. "She'll be eight months the sixteenth."

Martha studied the picture of the baby girl, with her pale blonde hair, already grown past her shirt collar, and her big blue eyes, as the waiter sat their food down. She looked a lot like him.

"She's beautiful, Jonathan. You must be so proud."

"I am. I think she's going to be a big talker. She already say's some words."

"What does she say?" Martha asked. It surprised Jonathan that she was so…earnest to hear about

Emma. Nell had never been interested in her.

"You know, she say's daddy, doggie, kitty. Words like that." Jonathan laughed. "She's been trying to say her name, but she can only get the 'Em' part. It's so cute."

"You sound like you lover her a lot." Martha remarked.

"I do." Jonathan answered. "I love her more than anything."

"Maybe, we could get together sometime. You know, the three of us." Martha smiled. "Like this weekend?"

Jonathan smiled back at her. "Are you asking me out?"

"I suppose I am." Martha cocked her eyebrow, taking the last bite from her salad. "So, is that a yes or a no?"

"Yes!" Jonathan said quickly. "I mean, uh, sure. Why not?"

Martha giggled. "Okay, great. Here's my phone number." She wrote it on a napkin. "Call me tonight, okay?"

"All right." Jonathan grinned at her. A date! _And_ she wanted him to bring Emma along. "I'll do that."

Martha glanced at her watch. "I really have to go. I've got to meet my dad, but I'll talk to you tonight, right?"

"Definitely." He nodded.

She handed him a few dollars. "For lunch."

He shook his head. "No, I'll pay for it."

"You don't believe in going dutch?" Martha asked.

"Nope."

"Well, if you're sure…"

"I am."

She sent him one last smile. "Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Jonathan watched as she walked out the door and down the block. She was so beautiful. And she was actually interested in Emma! He quickly paid the bill and headed back to his truck. He needed to get home. He promised his mom that he'd keep Emma in his room that night, so his parents could have some time alone.

He worried all the way home. He was so nervous about talking to Martha. What would he say to her? What would they talk about?

**Later that night-**

Jonathan sat Emma down in her walker, and put a handful of Cheerios on the tray. She looked up at him with big blue eyes and started to jabber in baby talk. She reached for her favorite toy; a stuffed dog simply named 'Bear-Bear'. Jonathan had no idea where it came from. Someone sent it in the mail one day, no name or card or anything. But Emma loved it.

"Bear-Bear, Daddy." She was saying. "Bear-Bear."

He handed her the dog. "Here, baby."

Okay, he thought. This is it. He pulled the rumpled napkin with Martha's number on it from his pocket. He picked up his phone. His friends always thought it was pretty neat that he had his own extension in his room. He punched in the number and waited while the phone rang…_once…twice…three times…_

"Hello?" A man's voice barked.

"Uh, is Martha there?" Jonathan asked nervously.

"Who want's to know?" The man barked again.

"Er, Jonathan Kent, sir."

He could hear the guy shouting for Martha and a few minutes later, she picked up the phone.

"Okay, Daddy, you can hang up now!" She shouted, then "Jonathan?"

"Hi." Jonathan said, all his nervousness melting away at the sound of her voice.

"Hey," She answered. "Sorry about that. I hope my Dad didn't give you the third degree."

"Not really." Jonathan sat down on the floor beside Emma in her walker. "Uh, that's your dad?"

Martha giggled. "Yeah. Don't worry, he's harmless. So, what are you doing?"

Jonathan sighed. "Nothing. Just watching Emma play."

"What's she playing with?"

"Bear-Bear."

"A teddy bear?"

"A stuffed dog."

"She named her stuffed dog Bear-Bear?"

Jonathan laughed a little. "Yeah. Don't ask."

"So, um, you still want to go out this weekend?" Martha asked.

"Yeah." Jonathan chewed the inside of his cheek. "You still want to, don't you?"

"Of course." She answered. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know. Were you serious about me bring Em?"

"Yes. Why?"

He took a deep breath. "It's just that my last girlfriend didn't want much to do with her."

"Well, I'm different." Martha insisted. "Besides, I_ love_ babies. I can't wait to have one of my own."

Jonathan felt his face flush. Was she hinting at something? "Uh, that's great." He knew it sounded lame, but what else could he say?

Emma started to fuss, so he lifted her out of her walker and sat her on the floor beside him. She crawled over to his nightstand and pulled herself up. She turned herself around and took a few wobbly steps toward him.

"She's walking!" Jonathan said excitedly. "Martha, she's walking to me. Come to Daddy, Emmie!"

"That's great Jonathan!" Martha wished she were there to see it. She could hear the baby giggling and Jonathan giving her a kiss.

They talked more about what they were going to do that weekend and Martha told him more about herself, like how her father wanted her to be a lawyer like he was. She had never been quite so open with someone she had just met, but she trusted Jonathan. He was probably the sweetest guy she'd ever met.

"I have to go." Jonathan told her almost two hours later. "I need to give Emma her bath and put her to bed."

"Okay." Martha bit her lip. She wished they didn't have to say good-bye just yet. "Um, how about if I call you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, if you want to." He answered. "Emma, no! She's chewing on the phone cord." He explained.

Martha laughed softly. "Well, I better let you go then. Good night, Jonathan."

"Night, Martha." He said and they hung up. He lifted Emma into the air. "Come on, Cookie. It's time for your bath."

He undressed her in the bathroom and sat her down into the warm water. She splashed at him and reached for her rubber bath toys. Jonathan went through the motions of giving her a bath and putting her to bed, but his mind kept wondering back to Martha. He laid Emma down in her crib. What used to be a guest bedroom had become her nursery.

Jonathan kissed her. "'Night, baby. Daddy loves you." He said.

"Daddy." She cooed as she snuggled with Bear-Bear. He handed her a warm bottle and stayed to watch her fall asleep. He tried to keep his clear, but Martha's pretty face kept floating through it. He fell asleep in the nursery that night, where he had a strange dream about Martha and Penny. They were floating above his head, blowing bubbles at him. 'You know you love.' They kept whispering. He woke up in the middle of the night and went to his own bed. He didn't remember the dream when he woke up in the morning.


	3. Chapter 3

_The sun is shining everyday_

_Clouds never get in the way for you and me_

_I've known you just a week or two_

_But, baby, I'm so into you_

_I can hardly breathe_

_-Martina McBride_

* * *

"_Five little monkeys jumpin' on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, "No more monkeys jumpin' on the bed."_

Jonathan paused and looked over at Emma in her car seat. She gurgled at him, a little line of drool dripping off her chin. She waved Bear-Bear at him, obviously wanting him to continue the song.

"_Four little monkeys jumpin' on the bed. One fell off and bumped his head. Mama called the doctor and the doctor said, "No more monkeys jumpin' on the bed!"_

He took a right, off Exit 117, into Metropolis. Saturday had finally arrived. Tonight was his date with Martha. Jonathan's stomach felt sort of queasy, like there was a bunch of butterflies fluttering around in it. Not exactly pleasant.

He looked at the piece of notebook paper he had written Martha's home address on. She lived in the nicer part of the city. You know, one of those neighborhoods where you actually forget that you're in the city?

He glanced down at the address again 220 Washington Street. Okay, he could see Isaiah Street and Levine Avenue, but no Washington. Maybe if he drove down a little bit farther…aha! There it was!

Jonathan turned onto Washington Street. The butterflies in his stomach had turned from a slight flutter to a wrestling match. He glanced over at Emma again, sucking on hr Winnie-the-Pooh pacifier. He'd dressed her in her best play clothes, the denim overalls with the pink and yellow flowers embroidered on them, the little yellow tee shirt, and those pink and white sneakers his Aunt Helen had sent. He had come prepared, to say the least, with an extra change of clothes for the baby, four bottles (two with milk, one with tea, and one with apple juice), about a million diapers, a bib, and a few toys. Oh yeah, he was definitely prepared for anything.

Jonathan cruised past 216 and 218. He felt extremely out of place in this nice neighborhood in his pickup truck. Most of the people his age drove cars that had come out in the last two to five years, if not brand new. Jonathan's pickup was a dark green '75 Dodge, with a huge dent in the passenger side door, where his friend, Ethan Miller, hit it with a three-wheeler the summer before. Not exactly high class transportation, if you know what I mean.

He pulled into the driveway of 220. It was a huge brick house, at least three times larger than the Kent's farmhouse. Even Emma stopped biting on her pacifier for a few minutes to stare up at it. Okay. Now the butterflies felt like they were moving at hyper speed. Jonathan climbed out of the truck and smoothed out his jeans. He and Martha had decided to take Emma to the park (not just any park, Martha had told him, the biggest park in Metropolis) so he had just worn jeans and an old black Johnny Cash t-shirt.

He got Emma out of her car seat and headed for the front door, inwardly coaching himself. Just a girl, she's just an ordinary girl. But that was the problem, Martha _wasn't_ just an ordinary girl, not the kind he was used to dating, anyway. She was special. She came from money, and a lot of it, by the looks of things. Jonathan just wasn't used to that.

He took a deep breath, hitched Emma a little higher on his hip, and rang the doorbell. Thankfully, Martha answered.

"Jonathan, hi." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, surprising the hell out of him. "And this little cutie must be Emma."

"Yeah." He smiled at his daughter, expecting her to hide her face in his shoulder, like she normally did when meeting new people. She was an extremely shy baby. But this time was different. Instead of hiding her face, she reached right for Martha, stretching her little arms out.

"Oh, hello honey," Martha cooed, taking her from Jonathan. She kissed her plump cheek. "She's the sweetest thing I've ever seen."

"Thanks. "Jonathan didn't know what else to say. He was surprised. He'd never seen Emma go straight to someone she didn't know. It had taken Nell well over a month before Gabbie would even let her hold her without crying.

"Come on and meet my family." Martha was saying to him. "My parents aren't home, but my sisters are."

He followed her into a large family room, where a dark haired girl of about thirteen sat watching a rerun of Gilligan's Island.

"This is my youngest sister, Marcie." She explained. "Marcie, this is Jonathan Kent and his daughter, Emma."

Marcie's eyes never wavered from the TV. "Hi." She said.

"Hey." Jonathan glanced at Martha. Was she always so engrossed in classic television? Martha rolled her eyes and led him into the kitchen, where another girl sat. This was blonde and looked to be around sixteen.

"And this is Mariah."

Mariah grinned at him; her face so similar to her older sister's that it was scary. "Hello." She said.

"This is Jonathan." Martha told her. "And this cute little bugger is Emma."

"Sister?" Mariah guessed.

"Daughter." Jonathan corrected.

Mariah nodded. "That's cool."

"I thought you and Tony had plans?" Martha asked her sister.

"We do. Later on." Mariah grinned.

"Oh God. You're not sneaking out again are you?"

"_Maaaybe_."

Martha rolled her eyes and motioned for Jonathan to follow her. They walked outside, towards the driveway.

"She's going to get in trouble one of these days. Serious trouble." Martha said.

Jonathan bit his lower lip and didn't say anything. He didn't have to.

"Oh Jonathan," Martha looked at him with apologetic eyes. "That's not what I meant. This boyfriend of hers, you should met him. He's so weird. I think he does drugs or something. He creeps me out." She paused. "Should we take your car or mine?"

"I don't care."

"Let's take yours, since you already have Emma's car seat in it and everything."

"All right." He paused. "I can put Emma in her seat…" He trailed off.

"No, let me do it." Martha smiled at him as he held the passenger side door open for her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Martha concentrated on strapping the baby in her seat. She'd never dated anyone with a kid before. Well, she and Jonathan weren't exactly dating…not yet, at least. But they would be, she knew it. Besides, when Marcie had read her horoscope that morning, it had said something about love in the near future or something. Martha wasn't really sure; she wasn't paying all that much attention. She'd been to busy thinking about how cute Jonathan was and good he smelled and…and how he was just perfect. Okay, not 100 percent perfect, but close enough. And this baby was just about the most gorgeous thing she'd ever seen. Of course she was, she looked just like her daddy, didn't she?

"What would you like to eat?" Jonathan asked, pulling Martha from her thoughts.

"They have this really great BBQ place around the corner." She told him. "Me and my friends eat there all the time."

Apparently, this was true, because when they went inside to order their food, Martha spotted some of her girlfriends at a booth in the back.

"Hey, Martha!" A tall girl, with hair so black that Jonathan thought it looked almost blue, called to them. "Over here!"

She sat with two other girls, both blonde, wearing designer clothing that Jonathan knew he couldn't afford, even if he saved three of his paychecks.

"Hi!" Martha called back, leading Jonathan over to the booth. Her three friends gave her an odd look and Martha realized she was still holding the baby. "This is Jonathan," She said quickly. "And his daughter, Emma."

Jonathan smiled at them. "Hi." He said.

"This is my friend, Stacie," Martha indicated to the dark haired girl. "And Paige and this is Christine."

The three girls smiled at him and cooed over Emma for a few minutes.

"Why don't you guys sit with us?" Paige asked. " Jimmy and Shane should be here soon."

"Oh, we can't." Martha told them. "After we get our food, we're taking Emma to the park. You know, like a picnic."

"Oh, how cute." Christine muttered, almost sarcastically. "What is this, Little House on the Prairie?"

Martha narrowed her eyes. "Shut up."

"Who's gonna make me? You?" Christine laughed meanly.

"Cool it." Stacie told her. She slanted an apologetic look to Martha and Jonathan.

Thankfully, their order number was called, so they had no reason to stay. They said their good-byes, got their food, and headed back to the truck.

"What was that all about?" Jonathan asked, as he climbed into the driver's side.

Martha had just finished strapping the baby in. She settled herself in her seat and rolled her eyes.

"It's so stupid. I'm sorry you had to see that. Christine is such a big a bi-" Martha stopped herself from saying a word she didn't really like to use. Jonathan bit back a laugh. "Well, she isn't very nice."

Jonathan snorted. "Yeah, I noticed. What's the deal with that?"

Martha rolled her eyes again. "I dated her brother for a little while last year. Every since we broke up, she's acted like that towards me."

"Bummer."

"Tell me about it. The whole thing's just dumb. Anyway, no one's really that keen on Chris anyway."

"Then why do you all hang around with her?" Jonathan wondered.

Martha sighed. "It's complicated. Our families have been friends for generations."

"You and Emily's families?"

"No. Well, yes, but not just our families. Stacie's family and Paige's, too. There's a few others. It's like, I have to be friends with them because it's tradition."

"Wow. That _is_ complicated and kinda, well…dumb, if you don't mind me saying so."

"No," Martha sighed again. "You're right. It _is _dumb. But that's the way it is. Turn here." She pointed to the left.

Jonathan pulled up into a parking space near the picnic tables. They chose one and ate their food quickly. It was messy and Jonathan was glad he had gotten something easier for Emma to eat, just some applesauce and some french-fries. He held her on his lap, giving her little pieces of torn up fries and small spoons of applesauce.

When they finished their meal, Jonathan hoisted Emma's stroller out of the back of his truck and strapped her into it.

"Let me push her." Martha said. They walked along the wooded paths talking about nothing in particular. Somewhere off in the distance, someone had a radio turned up loud. Jonathan could catch snatches of the song.

_"And I'm gonna keep on lovin' you, 'cause it's the only thing I wanna do. I don't wanna sleep, I just wanna keep on lovin' you."_

He reached down slowly and took Martha's hand. She smiled up at him, nervously. They held hands as they walked along, Martha pushing Emma's stroller.

An older couple passed them, the woman pausing to look at the baby.

"What a beautiful child." She told Martha. "Just like her Mama." She winked at Jonathan and her and her husband walked on.

"She thought I was Emma's mom." Martha said, looking after them. "Can you believe it?"

Jonathan shrugged. "I guess." He smiled at her and they walked on.

A few hours later, it was starting to get dark. They headed back to the truck and towards Martha's house.

"We should go." Jonathan said reluctantly. "Em and I have a long drive ahead of us."

"I know." Martha looked down. "Why don't you guys stay at my house?" She said a few minutes later, her eyes brightening. "It would be so much easier on you than driving home so late."

"I don't know…." Jonathan trailed off. It would be a relief, to not have to drive all that way at night, but he didn't want to impose. "I don't want to impose."

"You're not imposing, silly." Martha assured him. "You're my guest. I've had boyfriends stay over before."

Jonathan slanted her a funny look and she slapped her hand over mouth. "That's not what I meant!"

"I know what you meant." He reassured her. He was still hung up on the boyfriend part. She had called him her boyfriend. Did she mean it? Did she want him to be her boyfriend? Or was it just a slip of the tongue?

"Sure." He said after a second. "We'll stay, if you're sure it's all right."

"It's fine." She told him as they pulled into her driveway.

The three of them went inside. Jonathan was nervous about staying there. He'd never stayed in a house so big before.

He glanced around. The house seemed to be nearly deserted, except for the sound of loud music coming from upstairs.

"I forgot Marcie's having a sleepover tonight." Martha rolled her eyes.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Jonathan asked.

"Yeah, sure." Martha waved her hand. "My parents went to some charity thing, they'll be pouring themselves in bed around dawn." She rolled her eyes again. "Come on upstairs."

They went upstairs. Emma was nearly asleep, so Jonathan took off her overalls and her shoes while Martha made her a small pallet in the floor.

"She can sleep here till you're ready to go to bed, then you can just put her in bed with you, okay?"

"That's fine."

Martha scribbled out a note explaining why there was a strange boy and a baby in one of the guestrooms and stuck it on her parent's door, then she showed Jonathan the guest room.

"I'm going to put my pajama's on, okay?" She told him.

"Okay."

She shut her door and pulled off her jeans and tee shirt. She dug through her drawers, trying to find her cutest pajamas. She pulled out a pair of plaid shorts that Paige had left after a sleepover and an old white tee shirt with a picture of Stevie Nicks on it.

"Okay, you can come in." She called to Jonathan.

He had changed into his pajamas, too. Well, actually he was just wearing his boxer shorts and his shirt, but he still looked cute as hell. Martha sat on her bed and smiled at him. He sat down beside her…and did nothing.

Jonathan didn't know if he should make a move or not. She looked so freakin' cute, sitting there singing along to the radio. This is it buddy, he told himself. It's now or never. Go for it!

And he did. He went for it. Martha was a little surprised at first, but she kissed him back with urgency. She leaned back on the bed with Jonathan over her. She could feel his hand moving over her rib cage and up her shirt, and she gasped a little.

"Stop." She whispered. "Please."

Jonathan sat up quickly. "I'm sorry." He said. "I just…"

"It's okay." Martha told him. "I understand. It's like driving your car on the ice, you know? You know you're slipping farther and farther along, but you don't try to stop until it's too late. And then you can't."

Jonathan nodded and kissed her again. They broke apart several minutes later and lay beside each other on her bed. They stayed that way for a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Okay, just a short one. People have been asking repeatedly about Clark and I just wanted to say that he will be making his appearance in the next chapter. It should be out in two or three days. Also, I know the wedding scene is sort of vague, but everyone I've asked doesn't seem to remember a whole lot about his or her weddings. Nervous, I guess.**

* * *

_Let them talk about us_

_Let them call us funny things _

_People sometimes do _

_I don't care as long as you know I love you _

_Oh, and you know I do _

_I'll be there _

_But you might not see me _

_It's never easy to get through _

_But when the laughter dies away _

_I'll take care of you _

_-Dixie Chicks_

* * *

**November 4th, 1984-**

During the months that followed, Emma grew rapidly. The features of her tiny face grew more distinct (anyone who saw her would tell you she was the spitting image of her daddy) as did her personality. She continued to be a content, happy baby, who only cried to let Jonathan know her diaper was wet, or that she was hungry, but she wasn't one who craved a lot of attention or had to be doted on at all times, even though nearly everyone she met enjoyed doing just that. Even Jonathan's buddies, especially his old football teammates, loved to play with her, eager to hold her and pinch her chubby cheeks. She would just smile and jabber away at them, sometimes in English and sometimes in her own made up language.

Her curiosity and her perception of everything around her amazed most people; Jonathan included, and kept her occupied most of the time. Every time she reached, she explored and if she found something she liked, she would laugh and clap her little hands together. She could be content for hours with one toy, turning it over in her hands, tasting it, testing it's firmness, and tracing it with the tips of her fingers.

When Jonathan sat with her in his lap, she would explore his face with her fingers, touching his nose and lips, occasionally going "_ohh_." If he smiled, she smiled. If Jonathan stopped to gently chastise her, Emma would grow serious and always listen. He liked to play peek-a-boo with her, lowering the blanket to reveal his hair and his forehead, but Emma would only laugh when she saw his eyes. Then she would explode with giggles.

By the time she was ten months old, her hair had grown down nearly to her shoulders, and she would let Martha or Jonathan's mother brush and comb it. She was already very feminine, always happy to be bathed, sitting quietly to have her hair brushed, and attracted to any kind of loving attention. Whether it was Jonathan, his parents, or Martha who sang to her, she would sit quietly and listen intently, her eyes so still that they all were sure she had already memorized their songs and was waiting for the parts she knew would come.

Any musical expression fascinated her, whether it be their singing or music on the radio and cassette tapes. Jonathan had even taken to turning on MTV or CMT (whatever he was in the mood to listen too) and sitting Emma down to watch it. Crib toys that played tunes were favorite, though, and if she cried for anything, other than being fed or changed, it was for someone to pull the cord that set the toys tinkling. Finally, Jonathan showed her how to do it on her own, and she kept herself occupied for hours listening to them. Everyone that knew the Kent's knew Emma had propensity for music, and on her first birthday, she was flooded with picture books with built-in music boxes, windup toys that played children's songs, and even a toy piano for her to play. That was her favorite. She was already fascinated with her ability to make musical sounds.

But, on this day, on the fourth of November, Emma wasn't playing anything at the moment. No, she was sound asleep in her daddy's bed, snoring softly. Jonathan sat in an old chair beside his window. It wasn't even light yet, just a gray sort of darkness. There was a red line to the east, suggesting that the sun would soon be coming up. It looked like it had been drawn with a thick, red crayon. Everyone else in the house was asleep, but Jonathan was too jumpy to sleep. After all, he and Martha were getting married today.

No, you heard me right. I said they were getting married. A lot of people commented on how short of time the two had dated, how young they both were. Even more people speculated on whether or not Martha was pregnant and if this was a shotgun wedding. Of course, it wasn't. Martha wasn't able to have children, although she didn't know that yet. No, Jonathan had proposed inAugust and Martha decided she didn't want to wait very long. Jonathan had tried to go about things in the right way; he had asked Martha's father, William Clark, for his permission. Mr. Clark, who never liked Jonathan (or Emma, for that matter), said no, he didn't want his daughter with some no-good hick who already had an illegitimate child to begin with. Jonathan…well, he sort of lost his head. He didn't mean to hit the man, but it sort of happened that way. Not only had he insulted Jonathan, but he had insulted Emma and that just didn't fly. No one said anything bad about his daughter without paying for it.

Jonathan stood from his chair and started to pace the room, much like he had done the night a Emma's birth. The wedding was going to take place at eleven o'clock that morning, which left him with roughly six hours. He was nervous beyond belief.

"Daddy?" A small voice said

He looked at the bed to see Emma awake. She was sitting up, her Barbie pajamas rumpled and her hair a tangled mess.

"What is it, baby?" He asked. "You should be asleep."

"I want you to hold me." She whimpered. Another thing that astonished people was Emma's growing vocabulary. She loved to talk and when you got her going, she just didn't want to shut up.

Jonathan bent over and let her climb into his arms. He carried her to the window and they both watched as the sun came up over the rise of the barn. "Today's a big day, Em." He whispered in her ear. "Do you know why?"

"Martha's gonna be my mommy." She answered. "I never had a mommy before."

"I know, baby. But you do now."

It wasn't long before Jonathan realized that he needed to be getting himself and Emma ready for the wedding. Emma was going to be the flower girl. He carried her into the bathroom with him and sat her on the floor with some of her toys while he took a shower, then he gave her a quick bath. His mother and three aunts were going to be fixing her hair and getting her into her little yellow dress. Jonathan knew next to nothing about dressing a flower girl for a wedding. Hell, he knew next to nothing about dressing himself for a wedding.

"Where's the baby?" His Aunt Helen burst into his room a few minutes later, followed by his Aunt Blanche and Aunt Sophie. His mother was the last to enter. They were all going over to the Smallville Inn, where Martha had spent the night, to get ready, while the men stayed on the farm.

"Here she is." Jonathan handed Emma to his aunt. He had just dressed her back in her pajamas and her hair was still wet from her bath. He kissed her cheek. "Bye, baby. Daddy'll see you in a little bit, okay?"

She smiled at him over Aunt Helen's shoulder. "Kay."

After the women left, the men piled into Jonathan's room. Besides Jonathan and his father, his two Uncles', Jack and Karl, and Jonathan's two cousins: Korey and Bruce. So, it was six men in one room, who had no idea what in the hell they were doing.

"What the hell is this?" Uncle Jack held up the cummerbund.

"It's a cummerbund, Dad." Bruce said. "Haven't you ever worn a tux before?"

"Why the hell would I need a damn tux?"

"Didn't you go to your prom, Uncle Jack?" Korey asked him.

"Please. When I was in school, it was one room. We didn't have dances and all that crap. We walked five miles to school, uphill both ways-."

"In three feet of snow," Hiram interrupted. "Yes, Jack, they've heard it all before. Who cares about the damn cummerbund anyway? My boy's getting married!"

"She's a pretty little thing, too." Karl said. "Korey, you need to rope you one like that Martha."

"Oh my God, Dad, you make it sound like Jon found her at the freaking rodeo or something." Korey said. "And besides, why should I worry about getting married? I'm not even sixteen, and this is Kansas, not Kentucky."

Karl rolled his eyes. "All I was saying was-."

"Excuse me," Jonathan waved his hand in the air. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'd like to get ready for my wedding before the century lets out. Do you guys mind?"

The Kent men mumbled apologies and hurried to help him finish getting ready.

Meanwhile, at the Smallville Inn, the women were having similar problems.

"Are you nervous about your wedding night, Martha?" Her Aunt Sue asked.

Sue's teenage daughter, Lindsey, rolled her eyes. "Mother, it isn't like tonight's going to be their first time together." She shot a quizzical look at her older cousin. "Is it?"

"Of course not." Martha answered, rolling her stalkings up her legs. "But I am excited. Just think: in a few hours, we'll be on the coast!"

Sue's husband, Martha's Uncle Philip, had insisted on buying them plane tickets to anywhere they wanted to go. Both Martha and Jonathan had decided on the Cape of Massachusetts. People were surprised. If you could go anywhere, why the Cape? Why not Paris or Tuscany, or Hawaii? But they wanted to go to the Cape and that's where they were going.

"Almost time, kiddo!" Jonathan's Aunt Blanche put her arm over Martha's shoulders.

Martha felt the butterflies in her stomach. She wished her mother and her sisters were here, but they weren't. Her father hadn't allowed anyone in her immediate family to come.

"Let's head to the church!" Someone shouted. She wasn't sure who it was, she was too nervous to pay attention. "It's time toget the show on the road!"

Next thing Martha knew, she was being shuttled into the front seat of a dark blue Trans-Am.

_"It's a nice day for white wedding."_

"Billy Idol." She mumbled, looking at whoever was driving. Lindsey, it was Lindsey. "How appropriate."

"Well, at least you can identify the music." Her cousin joked. "Oh, what the hell is this? Goddammit!"

"Lindsey!" Her mother scolded.

Construction spread out before them, ten miles worth, at least. It would take thirty minutes or better to get through it all. But they didn't have thirty minutes, Martha realized, the wedding started in five.

"Screw this!" Lindsey muttered, throwing her car into reverse. She backtracked down some old country road full of potholes and God knows what else. They screeched into the church parking lot ten minutes late.

"Where have you been?" Jonathan's mother said. "The wedding should have started ten minutes ago!"

"Sorry, sorry." Lindsey panted. "Construction."

"Are we ready?" Martha asked, pulling on her heels.

"She's here!" A male voice shouted into the church. "Cue the music."

The rest seemed to be a blur. Martha watched as Emma walked down the aisle in her little yellow dress, followed by Jonathan and Martha's female cousins in their matching yellow bridesmaid's dresses. And then it was her turn. She asked her Uncle Philip to walk her down the aisle since her dad wasn't there.

"Ready?" He asked, offering his arm.

"I think." She whispered, taking it.

The wedding march began and she walked nervously down the aisle. She could see Jonathan, grinning in front of the altar, looking incredibly good in his tux. She could see Emma waving at her. And that was all. They were her future and she liked the thought of that. She liked it a lot.

The next thing Martha knew, she was holding Jonathan's hand as they rushed down the steps of the church. He was holding Emma in the crook of his left arm as their family and friends threw rice and birdseed at them. Someone had rented them a huge black limo and they, plus the entire bridal party squeezed into it.

Jonathan settled back in his seat. He had a feeling that this was the exact same limo he had rented when he took Nell to the Senior Prom. His cousins and uncles had scribbled 'Just Married' and 'Another one bites the dust' all over it. Emma sat content in his lap, picking pieces of rice from her hair, and Martha leaned up against him.

"Happy?" He whispered to her.

"Very." She answered.

The reception was going strong when they arrived. The limo driver had driven them all over town, honking his horn. Jonathan knew it was the same limo he used at his prom when he heard the horn. How many horns play 'Home on the Range'?"

It was a fun reception, he thought. He danced with practically every dance with Martha or Gabbie, but reserved a few for his mother, aunts, and cousins. The bride and Groom dance was to 'Lookin' for Love' and he danced a special dance with Emma to 'White Rabbit'. He could see her now, dancing in the middle of the floor with Hiram, singing loudly.

_"When a problem comes along, you must whip it! Now whip it! Whip it good!"_

"She looks like she's having fun." Martha commented, drinking some punch.

"I know." Jonathan sighed. "Must be getting about time for us to go."

"Don't bowl me over with your excitement."

Jonathan smiled at her. "Sorry. I _am_ excited. I'm just nervous about leaving Emmie. A whole week. We've never been apart for that long."

"I know, but she'll be fine." Martha told him. "And when we come back, we'll be a family."

He slipped his arm around her waist. "We're already a family."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Okay, I just wanted to say that if this chapter's note entirely correct, I'm sorry. I've only seen the very first show twice, so all the 'when they found Clark' stuff is a little jumbled. Also, the dates are going to skipping around quite a bit for the next few chapters, so I can get through Clark and Emma's childhood quickly. And for all the people who keep asking when Clark's coming into the story: here he is!**

* * *

"_Not all who wonder are lost." _

_-J.R.R Tolkien _

**October 1989- **

It started out as an ordinary enough day; or, at least, it did for six-year-old Emma Kent. She'd gone to school, played with her best friend Renee, came home, and had a snack. It was like any other day of the week. So, what could be any different than this one?

"Come on, kiddo." Jonathan lifted her up into the truck.

"_Da-ddy_." She moaned. "I'm a big girl. I can get into the truck on my own."

"I _know _you're a big girl, Em, I was just helping you. I'd like to get into town and get this lumber before dark."

Emma shot her father one last withering look before snapping her headphones over her ears. She was listening to her favorite cassette tape: New Kids on the Block. Her father often teased her, asking how she could call that music. Believe me, once she got a few years on her, she was asking herself the same question. But, not today. Today she was sitting in between her parents in a pair of blue jeans and a Smallville Crows sweatshirt, in honor of the homecoming game that night. She was humming the words to _'Hangin' Tough'_ and thinking about Nathan Matthews and how, even though she hated boys and thought they were disgusting and had cooties, she kept remembering how funny her stomach had felt when he had touched her hand on the school bus.

She was not, however, thinking about meteors, or the boy who would become her brother in less than an hour's time.

It didn't take very long for her daddy to load up the lumber. She watched as he did it and giggled when Bobby Anderson, who was nineteen and worked part time at the hardware store, pulled her ponytail.

"You're still my best girl, Em." Bobby told her.

"Why didn't you go to the game, Bobby?" Martha asked. "I was sure we were the only people in town not going."

"Ah," Bobby waved his hand. "I'm not so big on football."

That was practically a felony in a football-crazed town like Smallville.

After they were finished at the hardware store, Martha insisted the swing by the flower shop. "I want some red tulips."

"Tulips are boring, Mom." Emma said. "I want a magazine, Daddy."

Jonathan looked down at her. "What kind of magazine?"

"Bop. Judy Corn told me that Paula Abdul's on this month's cover. I have to have it!"

"Paula who?"

"Abdul! You know, she sings that song '_Forever Your Girl'_? My favorite song?" Emma rolled her eyes. "You're so old."

"Right." Jonathan nodded his head. "I'll remember that twenty years from now."

Emma rolled her eyes again. "So, can I have the magazine?"

Jonathan sighed, but exchanged an amused look with Martha over his daughter's head. "I guess."

"Yay!" She kissed him on the cheek as the parked across the street from Nell Potter's flower shop. "I love you."

Jonathan hoisted her up on his back. "I love you too, baby." He told her as he carried her piggyback across the street.

A bell jingled as they opened the door to the flower shop. Nell Potter looked up, smiling.

"Hello Jonathan." She said, completely ignoring Emma and Martha.

Emma shot the woman a dirty look over her father's shoulder. She never really liked Nell that much. She wasn't sure why, she just didn't.

"Emma!" Three-year-old Lana Lang called to her. Lana was Nell's niece. Emma liked the little girl and she played with her sometimes, but only when she had to. After all, at six, she was_ much_ more mature.

"Hi, Lana." She said, wiggling down from her dad's back. "I like your dress." That was one of the things that the two girls had in common, playing dress up. Today Lana was dressed in a fairy princess outfit.

"You wanna make a wish?" Lana asked.

"Sure." Emma sat down at the table beside her friend.

"Okay." Lana picked up her magic wand. "_One…two…three…"_ She tapped Emma on the forehead with it.

"What'd you wish for, Em?" her dad asked. She smiled.

"Daddy, if I tell you it won't come true!"

"Hmm." He pretended to be in thought. "It wouldn't happen to be that Barbie Dreamhouse you've been talking about, would it? The one with the working lights and the elevator that moves up and down?"

Emma giggled. "How'd you know?"

Jonathan shrugged his shoulders. "Magic." He said. "And you never know, one day it might just…_appear." _

"Jonathan." Martha said in a warning tone. She slanted him a look. He knew that they couldn't afford that dollhouse, there was no sense in getting Emma's hopes up about it.

"Do you want to make a wish, Mrs. Kent?" Lana asked, brandishing her wand.

"I'd love too."

While her mother made a wish, Emma wondered over to the magazine rack and picked up the Bop that she wanted. She waved it at her dad, who nodded and handed her a five-dollar bill.

"You like Paula Abdul?" Nell asked as Emma handed her the five dollars.

"Yes." Emma said. She held out her hand for the change.

"You want to be a little nicer to Nell next time?" Jonathan asked his daughter as they left the flower shop. Emma shrugged.

"I don't like her." She said, climbing into the truck.

Jonathan bit his lip, remembering how Nell had called Emma a brat, but that was a long time ago. Nell had matured quite a bit, and there was no way that Emma could remember that far back.

"Er, I guess we won." He said instead, watching the stream of traffic, mostly high school students, honking their horns and waving.

"All right!" Emma thrust her fist in the air. "I knew we'd win!"

It took a little longer than normal to get out of town because of all the football game traffic. Emma was reading her new magazine and listening to her Walkman again. She had changed the tape from New Kids to Roxette.

"I know what your wish was, Martha." Jonathan told her.

Martha flushed a little, but didn't say anything. "You know what the doctor said." Jonathan continued softly.

"I know." She whispered.

"We've got Emma. We should be thankful for her. I know you didn't givebirthto her, but you're like her mother in every other way."

"I know." She whispered again. "And I love her like she was my own, but…" She trailed off. She wanted a little boy, and she knew Jonathan did too, but she didn't say anything. He was right. They had Emma and she should be enough. But she wasn't.

Jonathan sighed and chewed his lip, a habit he had never quite grown out of. He knew what his wife was thinking, how bad they both wanted a boy. Of course, he wouldn't trade his Emmie in for anything in the world, but if they could just have a boy too...

This is what he was thinking when the first meteor rock hit. It startled him and he swerved the truck. He, Martha, and Emma all turned around in their seats to get a better look.

"What was that?" Martha asked. She put her arms around Emma, who was whimpering a little bit. "Jonathan?"

"I-I don't know." He was surprised to hear his voice shaking. Emma whimpered again.

Another rock hit, then another and another, till they were hitting all around. One hit the road in front them and Jonathan swerved, trying to avoid hitting it. Instead, all he managed to do was send the truck rolling.

They stopped right at the edge of a cornfield, upside down. Jonathan was taking deep breaths, trying to keep himself calm. Emma was crying beside him. Her Walkman had fallen to the floor (actually, it was the roof) of the truck, the music still playing.

"Daddy." She whispered. "I'm scared."

"I know, honey, I know." He was silently thanking God that she'd had her seatbelt on. What if she hadn't? She could've been seriously hurt. And-what was that? He thought that he saw something move in the corn. But no, it couldn't be…yes; there it was again! What _was _it? And Jonathan watched in awe as a small, naked boy, maybe a few years younger than Emma, emerged from the rows.

"Martha." He said it in a single word. That was all it took.

Looking back later on, the whole accident and some of the events afterward were a bit of a blur to Emma. She remembered hanging upside down in the truck and her daddy helping her climb out and the strange little boy. She remembered, sort of, walking through the cornfields in her dad's arms while her parents argued over the kid. But what she mostly remembered was the metal thing lying on the ground in a large hole.

"I'm guessing his parents weren't from Smallville." Her mother was saying.

"Is he an alien?" Emma asked, speaking for the first time since they found him. "Like in _'The House on Holland Drive'_? Is he going to suck our brains out through our ears? Is he-?"

Jonathan recognized the name of some cheesy B-plotline alien movie Emma and her friend Renee had watched the weekend before. "No!" He said. "None of that. He's just like us." Yeah, sure he is.

"He's special." Martha interjected.

It seemed it was only a few minutes later that they were traveling down the highway in Jonathan's friend Teddy's truck. Emma had started to cry again at the sight of Teddy's dead body as her father pulled it from the truck. She had liked Teddy, he always brought her a big cookie with M&M's when he came to visit; it also reminded her of her grandparents, who had both died within a year of one another. She had only been four at the time, but she remembered it clearly.

She sat in between her parents, the little boy sitting on her mom's lap. He kept smiling at her, and despite herself, she was smiling back. She was a little surprised when he reached down and took a hold of her hand, but she held on tightly.

"Jonathan, watch out!" Emma jerked her gaze away from the boy at the sound of her mother's scream. There was a frantic looking man standing in the middle of the road. He looked kinda familiar, Emma thought, but she couldn't place where she had seen him before.

"Help me," He gasped as Jonathan pulled to a stop. "My son…he's hurt."

Jonathan jumped from the truck to go help the man and Emma leaned against Martha. "I'm scared, Mommy." She said in a small voice. The little boy stroked her long blonde hair. His was dark in comparison, but his eyes were almost the same color blue as hers. They could pass as brother and sister, Emma thought. Maybe.

Jonathan and the man came back, the man carrying a boy, who didn't look much older than Emma, in his arms. They only odd thing was that the boy didn't have any hair. Emma and Martha scooted over to make room for this man and his son.

Emma watched the new additions to their truck closely as they rushed towards the hospital. She knew that man from somewhere and she felt sorry for the boy. She thought that those rocks, whatever they were, must've made his hair all fall out. Poor guy. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to not have any hair. She reached up and touched her own. She thought that she'd be pretty scared if she woke up one day and it was all gone.

**Later that Night-**

"I'm glad your mother kept all of your old toys." Emma overheard her mother telling her father. She was sitting in the floor with the little boy, playing with a wooden train set. They had set some of her Barbie's on top of it.

"Choo-choo." The boy said. It had amazed all three Kent's when he picked up a few English words. Now, whenever Emma said something, he would repeat a few of the words.

They were playing with some plastic army men when someone knocked at the kitchen door.

"Who could that be at this hour?" Martha asked her husband.

"I don't know." He answered, standing up. "But you better keep him in here, just in case."

The little boy reminded Emma of her black and white cocker spaniel puppy, Oreo. Not that he looked like a dog or anything, just that when he heard a sound, his head would become very still.

That's what happened when he heard the person at the door. They could hear voices from the kitchen, Jonathan's and someone else. It was then that the little boy jumped up from his spot and ran towards the kitchen, Martha and Emma right on his heels.

"Oh!" Sheriff Ethan Miller was standing next to their kitchen counter. "And who's this?"

"Er…Clark.." Martha said, to the surprise of her husband and daughter. "I thought my maiden name would make a nice name for him." She explained.

"I had no idea that you guys had decided to adopt." Ethan said. He looked at Emma. "Are you happy to have a little brother, Em?"

"Yes." She smiled widely and put an arm around the newly named Clark. "I love him already."

Jonathan silently marveled at how well his daughter could put on the cute act. Of course, he shouldn't have been too surprised. She'd had him wrapped around her finger since day one, hadn't she?

"It's all been very…sudden." He told Ethan. "Martha and I weren't sure, so we didn't say anything to anyone."

"I see." Ethan nodded. "Congratulations."

"Thank you."

Emma left the adults to talk as she led her new brother back to the living room. "Well, Clark," She told him. He looked up her with wide blue eyes. "I guess you're part of the family now."

Clark grinned at her in return and put his hand in hers.

**A Few Days Later-**

Jonathan stood by the kitchen window without turning around. He knew what he had to do.

Lionel Luthor sat behind him at the table. Jonathan's father had always warned him to never make a deal with the devil and that was exactly what he was doing. But he had to, for the sake of his family, for the sake of Clark.

Speaking of Clark, he sat in the living room with Emma, where the two of them were watching _Grease._ He could hear them occasionally, laughing or singing along to the songs.

"So, what is it that you want, exactly, Mr. Kent?" Luthor asked. Jonathan didn't turn.

"A story." He said quietly, tapping his fingers on the sink. "I need an iron clad story for my son's adoption."

"We're going outside, Daddy." Emma announced brightly as she and Clark came full speed into the kitchen, both dressed in heavy coats.

"Is your movie over?" He asked.

"Yeah."

She smiled at Lionel, one of her bottom teeth missing. "I likeSandy the best, but Clark says that he likes-."

"Danny!" Clark shouted. "Come on, Emmie, wanna go outside!"

"Okay, okay. I'm coming." Emma rolled her eyes a little at Lionel Luthor.

"Keep him away from the farm equipment." Jonathan said to his daughters retreating back. "And stay away from the road!"

"Yeah, yeah, we will."

It took Jonathan and Lionel almost an hour to come up with a story for Clark's adoption, but they finally settled on something believable. Jonathan and Martha had already decided that the day they found Clark, the ninth, would be his official birthday, that he would be three years old, and that Joseph would be his middle name.

"Is there anything else, Mr. Kent?" Lionel asked when they were finished.

Jonathan was quiet for a minute. He could hear Emma outside playing with her jump rope, singing one of the skipping rhymes.

_"Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn around,_

_Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, touch the ground_

_Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, show your shoe_

_Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, that will do!_

_Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, go upstairs-_

_Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say your prayers-_

_Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, turn out the lights-_

_Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear, say good-night!"_

"A Barbie Dreamhouse." Jonathan told him. "With lights that really work and an elevator that moves up and down."

Lionel looked at him a little strangely, but then it seemed to dawn on him that it was for the girl. "I see. Done. I'll have it delivered in a week."

Jonathan wasn't sure what to say, so he just nodded. He walked Mr. Luthor to the front door. As he drove down the driveway, Emma waved good-bye to him.

"Bye, Mr. Luthor!"

Jonathan leaned against the door jam. His father had often said that your sins will come back to haunt you, but surely that wasn't true this time.

Right?


End file.
